What not to feed your dog over the Christmas holidays

The holiday season means plenty of delicious food shared amongst family and friends. Unfortunately, the same doesn’t apply for our pet dogs.

While it might seem thoughtful to slip your furry pal some Christmas leftovers, you could be doing them much more harm than good. Here’s what not to feed your dog over the festive season.

Ham

If there’s one food that is sure to be in excess over Christmas, it’s ham – but don’t feed any scraps to your pooch. The salt content in ham is far too high for dogs to tolerate and can cause serious stomach problems, as well as an excessive need to drink water that can lead to bloating. Ham is one of the most difficult meats for dogs to digest, so it’s best to steer clear.

Chocolate

The Christmas holidays aren’t an exception to give your dog chocolate, even as a one-off treat. Chocolate is extremely toxic for dogs due to its caffeine and theobromine, and even a little bit can cause a range of illnesses and in extreme cases, death.

Grapes

Like chocolate, grapes and sultanas are toxic for dogs. They can cause severe vomiting that can ultimately lead to kidney failure.

Food with xylitol

Treats like lollies, mints, gum, cookies and muffins often contain xylitol as a sugar substitute. The effects of xylitol can cause seizures and severe liver damage in canines – even a small amount of it can be deadly.

Onions and garlic bulbs

Onions and similar foods like garlic and leeks don’t mix well with dogs. Regardless of whether they are cooked, powdered or raw, these foods are extremely dangerous for pets. The effects can be from nausea to anaemia. If you’ll be cooking with onions or other bulbs, keep them away from your dog.

Cooked bones

One of the most common things to toss your dog at Christmas is the bones of any cooked meat carcasses like lamb, chicken or turkey. This is a dangerous practice, as cooked bones can easily splinter in your dog’s mouth and lead to cuts or choking. If you are going to throw your dog a bone, make sure it hasn’t been cooked.

It’s also very important to keep your pets hydrated in the holiday heat. Ensuring that your animals have access to water at all times is a must, especially if you’ll be out of the house. We can install automatic watering bowls for dogs and cats, easing your mind and making for happy, healthy pets. Contact us today to find out more about our automatic watering bowls.